Royal Dublin Fusiliers

Battalions of the Regular Army

1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Madras. Returned to UK and landed at Plymouth on 21 December 1914. Moved to billets in Torquay but in January 1915 went on to Nuneaton. Came under orders of 86th Brigade in 29th Division.
16 March 1915 : sailed from Avonmouth for Gallipoli, going via Alexandria and Mudros, where it halted on 9 April. Landed at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915.
Between 30 April and 19 May 1915, following heavy casualties, the battalion and 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers formed one composite unit, called the ‘Dubsters’.
1 January 1916 : evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt, arriving 8 January.
13 March 1916 : sailed from Port Said to Marseilles for service in France.
10 February 1918 : absorbed 200 men from disbanded 8/9th Bn.
19 October 1917 : transferred to 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division.
14 April 1918 : amalgamated with 2nd Bn. Reconstituted five days later by taking men from 2ndd Bn, which was reduced to cadre.
26 April 1918 : transferred to 86th Brigade in 29th Division.

2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Gravesend, under command of 10th Brigade in 4th Division. Moved to Harrow.
22 August 1914 : landed at Boulogne.
15 November 1916 : transferred to 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division.
10 February 1918 : absorbed 200 men from disbanded 8/9th Bn.
14 April 1918 : amalgamated with 1st Bn. 2nd Bn reduced to cadre strength.
1 June 1918 : cadre transferred to 94th Brigade in 31st Division.
6 June 1918 : reconstituted by absorbing troops from the 7th Bn.
16 June 1918 : transferred as Army Troops to Lines of Communication.
15 July 1918 : transferred to 149th Brigade in 50th (Northumbrian) Division

3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Naas. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Queenstown, going on in November 1917 to Pembroke and then next month to Gateshead. Absorbed 4th, 5th and 11th Bns in May 1918. Same month moved to Grimsby area and remained as part of Humber Garrison

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Dublin. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Queenstown, going on in October 1914 to Sittingbourne but returned to Ireland at the end of 1915, going to Templemore. Moved in April 1916 to Mullingar. Went to Brocklesby in November 1917 and absorbed by 3rd Bn in May 1918.

5th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Dublin. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Queenstown, going on in October 1914 to Sittingbourne but returned to Ireland in September 1915, going to the Curragh. Went to Longford in August 1917, moved to Glencorse in November 1917 and absorbed by 3rd Bn in May 1918.

Regimental badge as depicted on a CWGC grave stone. From the excellent red-eye collection at the Flickr website, with my thanks.

Battalions of the Territorial Force

As the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907 did not call for the creation of TF units in Ireland, the regiment had no TF battalions.

Battalions of the New Armies

6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Naas in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 30th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. Moved to the Curragh.
May 1915 : moved to Basingstoke.
11 July 1915: embarked at Devonport and sailed to Gallipoli via Mytilene. Landed Suvla Bay 7 August 1915.
early October 1915 : moved via Mudros to Salonika.
September 1917 : moved to Egypt for service in Palestine.
27 April 1918 : left the Division. On 3 July sailed from Alexandria, arriving Taranto five days later and then moving by train to France.
21 July 1918 ; transferred to 197th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
10 September 1917 : transferred to 198th Brigade in same Division.

7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Naas in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 30th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. Record same as 6th Bn except arrived at Marseilles 1 June 1918.
6 June 1918 : reduced to cadre, with troops going to 2nd Bn. Four days later the cadre returned to England and was absorbed into 11th Royal Irish Fusiliers.

8th (Service) Battalion
Formed in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Moved to Buttevant, then in June 1915 to Ballyhooley. Moved to England in September 1915, going to Blackdown.
December 1915 : landed at Le Havre.
24 October 1917 : amalgamated with 9th Bn to form 8/9th Bn.
10 February 1918 : disbanded in France, troops going to 1st and 2nd Bns.

9th (Service) Battalion
Formed in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Record same as 8th Bn. Ceased to exist when 8/9th Bn formed.

Cardinal Francis Bourne, the Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and Major-General William Hickie, the Commander of the 16th Irish Division, inspecting troops of the 8/9th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers at Ervillers, 27 October 1917. Imperial War Museum image Q6153

10th (Service) Battalion
Formed in Dublin in late 1915. Moved to Buttevant, then in June 1915 to Ballyhooley. Moved to England in August 1916, going to Pirbright.
19 August 1916 : landed at Le Havre and placed under command of 190th Brigade in 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.
23 June 1917 : transferred to 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division.
24 October 1917 : absorbed surplus troops from 8/9th Bn.
15 February 1918 : disbanded in France, men going to 19th Entrenching Battalion.

11th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Dublin in July 1916. Moved to Aldershot by January 1918 but absorbed by 3rd Bn in May 1918.

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